I have a wide range of hobbies and interests. Some of which I actively participate in, some I have dabbled with at some time in my life, and others are just things that I either hope to try one day, or admire from a distance.
Travel: Our planet Earth is an amazing and varied place, and the only way to truly experience all that it has to offer is to get out there and take a look-see for yourself. I write more about my travel experiences here.
Sailing: I've sailed on yachts from a P-class to a 126' schooner. I love it! It is a brilliant way to experience nature, focus the mind and challenge yourself. I've raced in Australia and Hong Kong, and cruised the waters of New Zealand and Indonesia. My latest sailing adventure is an 8,000 Nautical Mile Pacific crossing (Panama to Australia) aboard a 46' Beneteau.
Photography: See here.
Motorcycling: Far more than just a simple means of transportation, to me a motorbike offers freedom in a way that a car never can. Although motorbikes have been a big part of my life since I was 20, I haven't owned one since 2003 (I did have the use of a V-Max for a time in Cayman though. Yowser!). I do plan to get one shortly after settling down after this trip. I've previously owned the following bikes: Yamaha Passola 50 scooter, Honda A50, Yamaha YB50 (?? check - fifty frenzy), Suzuki RG250, Honda GB400 (x3), Honda VFR400 (nc21, nc24 and nc30), Kawasaki Ninja 250, Suzuki RGV 250, Enfield Bullet 500 and a Yamaha YZF600.
Mountain biking: I picked up this amazing sport whilst living in Hong Kong (which, by the way, is a brilliant place for it!), and can in fact directly blame my friend Shaun Horrocks for my involvement. It can be tough going at times, but those bombing downhills more than make up for the climbing burn. The ability to strap a pair of panniers onto your bike and head off touring anywhere in the world is an added bonus. Don't forget to wear your helmets, kids!
Scuba diving: I am still a relatively inexperienced diver, with around 50 dives under my weight-belt. I did my PADI open water course in Phuket, Thailand in 1997. After that, I didn't dive again until 2003, when I started making up for lost time in the coral-filled waters of the Cayman Islands. This sport transports you to a whole different world, and gives you the ability to fly.
Hiking: Sometimes grueling, but always satisfying, this is the best way to get to the world's most wild and beautiful places, as well as being a great way to stay in shape. I've completed the Annapurna circuit in Nepal, walked to the summit of Half Dome in Yosemite, California, and crossed the wild Heaphey track in the South Island of New Zealand. Many more are calling...
Rock climbing: Here is a sport I would like to do more of. I became interested due to my brother, Steve's involvement, when I was living in Hong Kong. I used to climb fairly regularly on Lamma Island, Shek-O and in the Gecko Climbing Gym in Kowloon, and once did the route "Gweilo" up the South Face of Kowloon's impressive Lion Rock. I spent a few hard-core days in the wonderful Krabi, Southern Thailand, and also did a small amount of quarry climbing in Auckland and in Macau. Given the opportunity, I'd take up climbing again a flash.
Macintosh computers: How much time do you spend using a computer in an average day? For me, the answer is a lot! I prefer to keep the experience as painless and stress-free as possible, so I use a Mac. My Mac is stable, fast and elegant, and lets me work the way I want to, rather than forcing me to conform to the idiosyncrasies of the OS. My browsers are standards compliant. I don't run anti-virus software. Spyware, Adware, Botnets; what are those? And I have never once found a program I need that doesn't have a Mac version, or have an equivalent software that does. At the end of the day though, I guess a computer is just a tool, and whatever tool works best for you is the one that you should be using. Of course, the new Intel Macs have the ability to run Windows or Linux as seamlessly and fast (faster in many cases) as any Dell or Toshiba, and at an equivalent price. Beware the FUD. Use your discernment. Check the facts. Maybe a Mac is right for you, too?
Chess: A metaphor for life? Perhaps. Unfortunately, I haven't played in a long time. I consider myself a fair to medium player, although of course, as with all things in life, some practice would help!
Tennis, skiing/snowboarding, windsurfing, golf: An enthusiastic, but unskilled amateur.
Conservation: The natural world is full of wonder and beauty. Personally, I get enormous enjoyment from the unspoiled parts of our planet, and wish that more could be done to protect what is left, for both this and future generations. Thus, I guess I'd call myself a Green. For reasons that I don't fully understand, this label seems to carry a lot of negative connotations. Perhaps it is due to political strategies followed by some Green politicians, or maybe just a leftover from the right's cold war 'dirty hippy' rhetoric. Either way, I believe in sustainable use of resources and that, with enlightened oversight, conservation and progress can go hand in hand, however I also believe that when you have as opponents the forces of corporate greed and ruthlessness, it sometimes takes an equally single minded stance to balance the scales.
Life: The biggest adventure of all, but far too easy to take for granted. There are a million proverbs and a whole industry of self-help books (not to mention a plethora of cults, religions and gurus) all advising you how to get the most out of it, but for me, this quote from the book Ultra Marathon Man by runner Dean Karnazes sums it up best: "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: 'WOW!! what a ride!'"